New to group

[donovasp]

Hi I am Steve, a 51 year old from Worcestershire, I suffered from a sah the end of October having been diagnosed with severe migraine twice, I was finally admitted to Worcester hospital then onto the QE in Birmingham, I also have a second unruptured aneurysm, which makes life exciting,

I am back to work albeit only 4 hours a day but walk 1/2 hour each way, I am adjusting to life again, trying to get my head round not driving, holiday insurances ,People looking at you and saying you don't half look well, wish I was only doing 4 hours a day, the headaches and tiredness etc etc.

Well that's me, any advice, chat, tips would be welcome......

[Silmarillion]

Hey Steve

Hello and good evening to ya!

Wow you're back to work so soon.....well done! Did you do a phased return to work? Have you spoken to your employer about things? Some of them can be quite understanding?

If you find any cheap holiday insurance let us know?

[Hidden in reply to Silmarillion]

Yes, the 'don't you look well' thing is so annoying. I am sure most of my friends think I exagerate my husbands problems. Unless they know us well they think he looks very fit and healthy and can't understand where the problem is! Not being able to drive seems to be the thing that most people find hard. My husband is absolutely fuming at not being able to get behind the wheel (especially as he HATES my driving).

Good luck with getting back to work, try not to get overtired.

The travel insurance thing is really hard, we actually went away this time without any but with our fingers, arms and legs crossed.

[donovasp in reply to Hidden]

to be honest I never even thought about holiday ins till I saw people talking about it on here, what a nightmare it all is,

[donovasp in reply to Silmarillion]

Hi, it is a sort of phased return, work sorted it all out for me after I saw the occupational health nurse, so far they have been really supportive,

I will certainly let you know if I find any cheap insurance sites....

[cat3]

Welcome Steve ; I'm in the SAH club too (Dec 2011) so getting to be an old hand. The fatigue is still an issue for me but it's become an issue to manage rather than a worry. Mind you, I don't work so no pressure there (you've done really well getting back so soon !)

See you around I hope ! Cat x

[malalatete]

Hi Steve I have a partially treated annie, half of it still malingering so yes, life is exciting...welcome here, loads of support and info.

[headwayuk Partner Headway]

Hi Steve,

Many thanks for your post. Just to add to our members' comments, you can get some more information on travel insurance on our website, at headway.org.uk/about-brain-...

The 'Holidays and Travel' factsheet, which you can download from that page, contains more information and a list of companies who are more likely to be able to offer insurance, albeit usually at an increased cost.

If you're travelling in Europe you will be able to get the EHIC card which will pay for emergency treatment, including for issues arising from a pre-existing condition. You can find out more and apply at nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcar...

It doesn't replace travel insurance as it doesn't cover things like getting you back to the UK if anything happens - but it certainly offers peace of mind with access to free emergency care if you need it.

Please feel free to contact our helpline on 0808 800 2244 or [e-mail] if you'd like to discuss things further.

Best wishes,

Headway

[donovasp in reply to headwayuk]

Thanks for the replies and advice

[Dmparsons9]

Hi Steve you have done really well. I had my sah in September last year. I'm a hairstylist and can't stand for long so only working on friends hair at the moment. I am the same age as you and everyone keeps telling me I look really well too. Whilst it's nice it can be annoying. Hope you continue to do well. Deb

[donovasp in reply to Dmparsons9]

Thanks Deb, hope you continue to recover as well, early days yet but hopefully going in the right direction,

[Dmparsons9 in reply to donovasp]

Thank you. You too

[Hidden]

May I express a view re driving? For background I used to drive thousands of business miles each year and enjoyed driving. I trained and passed my Advanced Driving Test and was a member of the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) for many years. But when TBI led to me not breathing enough automatically (which was not actually diagnosed for five years!) I was so tired, had Sicca syndrome (which once made me stop on a motorway hard shoulder because my eyes were in agony and watering too much to see!), and memory problems I took the decision to stop driving because I considered that I was a potential danger to others.

Having two children I could not bear to cause death or serious injury to other people's children. The IAM is predicated on safety and cars are potential lethal weapons so the logic is inescapable. It is NOT a question of what I would like or how inconvenient it is - that is not relevant to this particular decision. It is tricky for GPs and medics to judge driving ability and I would recommend a test if there is any doubt. Please be objective about this.